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Brantford-Brant

Emotional outpouring at vigil

Brant riding federal New Democrat candidate Marc Laferierre (left) and his provincial counterpart Brian Van Tilborg hoist glasses of orange juice in a toast, along with about 100 people who attended a vigil to Jack Layton on Wednesday evening, August 24, 2011 at the Brant NDP office on Murray Street in Brantford, Ontario. BRIAN THOMPSON/BRANTFORD EXPOSITOR

But a brimming basket of will to live up to a departing leader's call to help change the world for good.

All those emotions pervaded a memorial to Jack Layton on Wednesday that brought out nearly 100 mourning people of all walks of life to the Brant NDP campaign headquarters on Murray Street.

Many were fervent party members, while several others professed either different political affiliations or none at all. They said they felt compelled to answer the call to a three-day vigil and the memorial to Layton, who died Monday morning from a second bout of cancer.

All were there to express their feelings, to join in a toast of orange juice to "Jack!" and to put a candle in the finished cup to keep a light shining.

"It is so painful to lose a man of social justice...who was working for everyone," Imam Mohammed El-Farram of the Brantford Mosque said in a prayer to the gathering outside the building.

"He was one of our people."

Brian Moore, a longtime local executive member, reminisced about being a delegate to the national convention in 2003 that made Layton the leader.

Moore spoke of how his admiration for Layton grew from that convention, as watched his leader's personal performance in pursuing difficult issues in a quest to achieve social justice.

He said Layton lived up to the mantra he often bespoke: "Dream no little dreams."

It was actually the title of a biography on legendary New Democrat leader Tommy Douglas by A. W. Johnson, but was just as apt in Layton's case, said Moore.

Rev. Barry Pridham recalled being moved as he watched Layton at a meeting of steelworkers in Hamilton at the news of massive layoffs

"He wept when he heard a single mother's struggle to buy her house and then get laid off," Pridham recounted, adding that Layton stayed longer to comfort her.

"His passion and commitment to the poor was uncompromising," he said.

"We are so sad, sorry and missing him already."

Marc Laferriere, Brant NDP candidate in the last federal election, and Brian Van Tilborg, who is running in the Oct. 6 provincial election, gave testimonials to their relationships with Layton.

Laferriere said at a meeting with some NDP youth one asked him, who will step up now?

"I said 'everyone,."

Then Van Tilborg, Stephanie Levesque, Matt Larocque, Carrie Sinkowski, Neil Macdonald , Ryan Jamula and Laferriere fought for composure as they took turns reading parts of Layton's last letter to Canadians as his death approached.

Michael St. Amant, Progressive Conservative candidate stood in the crowd, wearing a shirt with "For Jack" emblazoned on it.

Brant MPP Dave Levac and Six Nations Chief Coun. Bill Montour dropped into the headquarters to sign a book of condolences and share their reflections of Layton.

The vigil at the headquarters will continue Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.

Visitors can also sign a book of condolences in the Max Sherman Foyer of City Hall, donated by Thorpe Bros. Funeral Home and Chapel.

Thorpe Bros. Also has a book of condolences at its funeral home at 96 West St.